1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector arrangement for connecting two electric devices or circuits, particularly, devices or circuits in vehicles used, for example, in a speedometer, an engine tachometer, a fuel gauge, or a coolant temperature gauge.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 15, a conventional meter 100 for a vehicle is composed of a dial plate 101, a driving unit 103 fixed to the back of the dial plate 101 by a plurality of screws 102, a printed circuit board 104 fixed to the driving unit 103, a meter case 106 to which the dial plate and the printed circuit board 104 are fixed by screws 105 and a printed circuit pattern 107 fixed to the back of the meter case 106. The driving unit 103 has a shaft 109 for driving a pointer 108, a pair of cross coils 110 wound on a bobbin and a housing 112 for accommodating the above members. In order to connect the driving unit 103 to the printed circuit pattern 113 formed on the circuit board 104, one end of a pin 114 is inserted into a female connector terminal (not shown) of the driving unit 103 and the other end is soldered to the printed circuit pattern 113. The circuit board 104 is fixed to the meter case 106 by a terminal plate 115 and screws 116 so that the driving unit 103 is also connected to a printed circuit pattern 107.
Because of variations in the axial size of the driving unit 103 and, also, differences in the coefficient of the thermal expansion between the printed circuit board 104 and the meter case 106, the relative position between the back of the driving unit 103 and the printed circuit pattern 107 can not be accurately maintained. As a result, the driving unit may be deformed or distorted to the extent that it fails to drive the pointer accurately or may not be connected to the circuit pattern 107 completely if they are forcibly assembled.
In order to solve the above problem, JP-A-8-152438 proposes a meter for a vehicle which is provided with a coil bobbin having flanges supporting male terminals and a printed circuit board having female terminals. The electric connection is made only by inserting the male terminals into the female terminals. The male terminals are held by blade springs so that they can move relative to the flanges without interruption of the electrical connection.
Although the female terminals are fixed to the printed circuit board, the male terminals are not fixed to the driving unit. Accordingly, the male terminals are apt to move when one intends to insert the male terminals into the female terminals. If the meter is a cross-coil type, four male terminals must be inserted into corresponding female terminals and, therefore, the assembling process is troublesome.